Vacation Scheme Student Review

I completed tasks within my department such as research to address issues that clients were facing, pulling together client presentations and completing more administrative tasks. I also had the opportunity to meet with many different people from across the firm, notably an associate from a department which I had some previous work experience in, and associates from departments that I would love to join in the future! I was allowed to take responsibility for discreet pieces of work, including pacing to meet an end-of-week deadline, with flexibility on how to approach the task too.

I learned to apply my existing knowledge from my degrees to legal work. I was also given the opportunity to read a patent for the first time, which built my experience with doing so, as I had never read a patent before. I learned lots of industry-specific language and which parts of an invention can be patented. It was particularly interesting to learn which parts of patents are commonly litigated and on what grounds. I also developed my speaking and communication skills at the end of week presentation.

The firm put a lot of effort into the presentations about the key practice areas. There was also ample opportunity to speak to lawyers from all practice areas which gave insight beyond what was presented. I also particularly enjoyed having a "trainee buddy" who was willing to answer many questions about life as a trainee, which vacation scheme students aspire towards. All of these opportunities to learn about the business culminated in the final end-of-week presentation where you pitched the business to a "potential client" as part of the assessment. I thought it was engaging and helped to internalise what was learned throughout the week.

The company culture at Mishcon is exceptionally supportive, open and friendly. People who work there seem to genuinely love working there and this resonated across all levels of seniority. It was actually one of the things that initially drew me to the firm, so it was wonderful to see my initial impression of the firm confirmed in the time that I spent there. The associates and trainees I spoke with also valued that they had the correct balance of autonomy and support in the workplace.

I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about all aspects of life at Mischon, particularly learning about the type of work that trainees carry out and the company culture. Firstly, the work was engaging and built on my previous knowledge from studying and university and working as a paralegal. The scheme aligned perfectly with my interests and felt appropriately challenging! Secondly, I really valued that the team really included me in my time there, checking in with me frequently and giving adequate support.

Yes

I would encourage other applicants to ensure that their interests align with the practice areas that the firm specialises in, as having genuine enthusiasm for the work that the firm are undertaking is very important! Secondly, I think it is important to find a workplace that is a good cultural fit, therefore, it is important to be your authentic self and ensure that this shines though in your application and any interviews that you might complete.